A new approach to treat bone gaps after midfacial and zygomatic fractures with a collagen membrane

Purpose: The aim of the study was to analyze the eligibility of resorbable collagen membrane in the treatment of midfacial fractures to prevent gap formation and subsequent cheek tissue retraction. Material and methods: We included nine patients (six males, three females; mean age 51; range 20–73 years; mean bone gap size 8.03 × 13.12 mm) in a retrospective study design. The defect size was assessed by ultrasound. Results: After a healing period of 4 to 55 weeks, treatment resulted in a significant reduction of gap size (residual mean bone gap size 6.14 × 7.32 mm). Conclusions: Native resorbable collagen membrane is a promising tool to reduce the size of bony gap in midfacial defects. © 2017, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany.